About 20% of women and men have bunions, protruding bumps at the base of the big toe joint. Because bunions change the shape of your foot, they can make it hard to find comfortable shoes and cause a lot of unpleasant symptoms as well.
Aaron J. Chokan, DPM, FACFAS, FACCWS, and Kristina Lynn Minniti, DPM, at Ohio Foot and Ankle Center, provide patient-centered treatment for bunions, helping patients find relief and restore their gait.
In this post, learn what symptoms bunions can cause and what our team can do to treat them.
Bunions happen when your big toe is pushed inward toward your other toes, putting strain on the toe joint. Over time, continued pressure on the upper part of your toe causes the joint to move out of alignment, creating a noticeable bump on the side of your foot.
But a bump is just one symptom to know about. Bunions can cause other problems too.
Not surprisingly, when your joint moves out of alignment, it can cause considerable pain. Most people find their symptoms are worse when wearing shoes, thanks to added pressure against the joint. Increased friction can also cause painful calluses to form on your toe.
Pain is a common bunion symptom, and so is swelling. Swelling occurs as your joint shifts and the tissues surrounding your joint become irritated and damaged. Without treatment, continued inflammation can lead to additional joint damage and deformity.
Your toe joints are designed to be flexible, but only when they’re properly aligned. Bunion misalignment leads to stiffness, and swelling around the joint takes a toll on normal joint movement.
Burning feelings typically happen when the big toe joint moves and presses against your nerves or swelling in the surrounding tissues causes nerve compression or irritation. These sensations tend to worsen when you’re wearing shoes or you put pressure on your toe joint.
Numbness is another symptom associated with nerve damage. Your nerves carry signals that help you feel all sorts of sensations, and when your toe joint compresses your nerves, it interrupts those signals, leading to feelings of numbness or pins-and-needles sensations.
While bunions can cause a lot of uncomfortable symptoms, they can be treated. First and foremost, if you have a bunion, it’s important to wear shoes with a lot of room in the toe box to reduce pressure on your joint.
You should avoid shoes with narrow or pointy toes and skip high heels. Callus pads can help relieve friction and pressure on the skin over your toe joint.
Early correction prevents your bunion from getting worse while providing fast and long-lasting relief from pain.
Dr. Chokan and Dr. Minniti use the most advanced surgical techniques, including state-of-the-art Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction, for less tissue damage and faster healing. Instead of the once-standard 4-6-week recovery period, today patients can be back on their feet within two weeks of their procedure.
Whether you have a bunion on one foot or both, we have a treatment that can help. To learn more, call or click online today to schedule a visit at your nearest location in Canton, Stow, and Rittman, Ohio.
